By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

The FIU men's soccer team has been on a nifty stretch the last three years. The Panthers won the Conference USA championship in 2015 and reached the league title game last year.

This season FIU is just one of four undefeated teams in the nation and yesterday the Panthers learned they are ranked No. 17 in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. The No. 17 ranking is the highest for FIU since the 2015 season when the Panthers were No. 14 in the nation during the season and finished at No. 16.

"It's really good for us to be 17^th in the country right now but we need to focus on the rest of the season," said FIU senior midfielder Paul Marie. "All my teammates are happy with this but we want more."

FIU is currently ranked in all three collegiate soccer major polls. Besides the No. 17 ranking, the Panthers are ranked No. 21 by TopDrawerSoccer.com and No. 30 in the nation in the College Soccer News poll.

The Panthers are succeeding this season because of team chemistry, depth and with that depth comes competition which is making every player better.

"The players have trained well, prepared well," FIU soccer coach Kevin Nylen said. "They've played well the majority of the games. We have played a lot of guys. We have depth which has been really good for the group because every day at training they are fighting to be in for selection. A lot of guys have started games this year. The group has stayed hungry and it shows in our results every day."

FIU (5-0-3, 2-0-1 Conference USA) plays its next game Saturday against Marshall at home. Even though the Panthers along with Indiana, Maryland and Columbia are the only unbeaten teams in the country, the start to FIU's season hasn't been much of a surprise.

"Everybody has gotten time to play and show what they can do for our team," said Marie, one of FIU's team captains. "I had the chance to come here early and meet everyone. There haven't been many surprises this season. The only great surprise is that our team has so much motivation and everybody is fighting for FIU."

FIU is second in the nation with 2.75 goals per game. Nylen is happy about his team's start and like his players the FIU coach is focused on more success.

"[The ranking] gives them an understanding that the work that they have been putting in from preseason all the way through and getting results has been recognized by everybody else in the country," Nylen said. "I said to them that's there is only one ranking that matters and that is the last one. It's great but it doesn't deter us from what we are doing and that's prepping for Marshall. After each game we have been happy where we are at. Each game gives the guys more confidence."